By Steve Morris

Under a crisp winter sky, the bids are coming fast and furious. The sheep mill about as buyers and sellers shout their destiny. We’re at Dublin (the South Aussie version) and the yards are home to the South Australian Livestock Exchange.

The poetry of the auctioneers and the bids of the buyers blow away on the cool breeze and the livestock hauliers move into action. The sheep are soon rattling up the loading ramps.

Kym Rohde is there, backing his Western Star FX4900 to the ramp. Kym is a young fella, driving for five years. It’s winter and the sheep load like a stream of liquid wool while Ken Rohde and the kelpies Dusty, Milo and Dixie are rousing up the next batch of sheep and heading them towards the loading ramp. In about 40 minutes the woollies are safely on the four deck, Dubbo-built Shanks trailer.

Kym travels to Strathalbyn, Murray Bridge, Lobethal, Coonalpyn, Naracoorte and the Northern Plains region of South Australia, and does interstate runs to feed lots in Victoria. On the longer trips, Kym takes partner Belinda Candy and she enjoys the long runs with her boy.

The long wheelbase of the truck eases the ride in the Western Star, and Michelin super singles on Alcoa rims mean the truck is tight and handles well on and off highway. Goodyear rubber is regularly rotated on the drive.

Today the destination is a short haul and offloading the sheep takes only 20 minutes with the able assistance of the working dogs.
Kym Rohde started his career in a Mitsubishi 22ft tray top stock crate pulling a 16ft pig trailer doing runs through the Adelaide Hills, carting sheep, cattle, pigs and goats for his dad Ken Rohde. After a stint with the old man, Kym ventured out into the big wide world and worked for KJM Contractors down at Cavan, in the outer transport region hub of Adelaide. He learnt the trade working in the yard and fitting truck tyres. Once a week he’d get a chance to do a run up to the mines carting mining equipment and ‘hot shots’. “That was a good dollar earner,” reckons Kym, “I stayed there for eight months.”
Following the foray into mining transport, Kym returned to the family property. By this time the family purchased the Western Star FX 4900 semi, bought second-hand in meticulous order.
The Western Star has a 550hp Cummins Signature under the big bonnet matched to an 18-speed Road Ranger. The Star has the grunt to chip along any bush track or blacktop highway with ease.
“The Cummins motor is brilliant,” says Kim, “we have a lot of driving through hilly terrain and the Signature pulls better when loaded to the hilt. It works, and works without a murmur; everything is well matched for our running needs.”

Up in the office, the Western Star has been well looked after, the woodgrain dash has been well cared for and the interior is blemish free. The seats are in good nick and proudly resting up on the dash is Kym’s Akubra hat. The big jigger has all the communications needed when travelling the highways from UHF and CB radios and a good CD player sound system. A 38L Engel fridge is fitted behind the passenger seat for those much chilled drinks and snacks when on the road.

The Western Star rides on airbag suspension, easing the ride for both livestock and driver. The 40ft, four-deck trailer rides on springs and fitted with dog boxes slung underneath – a mobile home for the working dogs.